Forbidden to Capture Rare Cute Ghosts - Chapter 9

After escaping from the underground cavern, Nan Deng fled all the way to this place.

The ghosts chasing him didn’t dare to make much noise, fearing there could be celestial masters outside; they were unable to catch Nan Deng.

At this time, there was no safe place. Nan Deng couldn’t think too much and relied purely on instinct.

Fortunately, not long after entering the suburb, the ghosts trailing him stopped pursuing.

Nan Deng continued without a stop, climbed into a familiar house through the window, and found no one inside.

Eventually, he hid in the wardrobe at the corner of the bedroom, curling up inside, his heart still filled with fear.

He had never heard of a mist ghost, which despite blowing up and dispersing into smoke, could still reassemble. This was not something an ordinary ghost could do. But if it was so strong, why didn’t it hunt prey itself?

Nan Deng couldn’t understand. As for the reason the mist ghost’s body suddenly expanded, he guessed it was because of consuming the rabbit’s head.

The rabbit’s head was peculiar. Nan Deng always knew it was a soul body, not like a ghost, not a real rabbit, and not a doll either.

Could it be that it was actually very powerful and possessed some special abilities?

Nan Deng straightened up, with the rabbit’s head lying in his arms, its ears drooping, seeming to have exhausted a lot of energy in the cavern.

It was hungry again, unable to fully open its eyes.

“Forget it… as long as you are okay,” Nan Deng hugged it tighter.

The rabbit’s head moved its ears slightly, responding to his words.

The house outside was quiet. Nan Deng had just started to relax when he heard a noise from the living room.

Someone returned, unbolted the door, and walked straight towards the bedroom.

The footsteps were firm; there was just one person. It must be the homeowner returning.

The ghosts hadn’t found him for so long, and no celestial master detected him either, Nan Deng was still safe, but he felt strangely tense listening to the footsteps growing closer until they stopped before the wardrobe.

Nan Deng thought, even if the wardrobe were opened, they wouldn’t see him. He was a ghost.

But then, the person outside knocked on the cabinet door and said, “Come out.”

Instantly, Nan Deng’s mind went blank, becoming extremely tense. His body stiffened, remaining motionless.

After a while, Lian Yi again spoke out, “Come out.”

His voice was even colder and deeper the second time. Not suspicious or noticing any irregularities, he knew Nan Deng was inside the wardrobe.

Inside the wardrobe were only a few pieces of clothing, there was ample space. Nan Deng slowly got up, his hand reaching for the closet door.

The house owner lived alone. He had not heard the other person speak before, unsure who the person outside was. If it was a Celestial Master … they should have acted by now.

Nan Deng gathered his courage, and pushed the wardrobe door slightly ajar.

He may have been discovered, but as long as it was not a Celestial Master, it would be fine. If there was a real problem, once the wardrobe was opened, he would run away immediately…

The person outside saw the wardrobe door move, but did not react.

The gap was getting larger and larger, and Nan Deng cautiously peered out with half of his face.

The bedroom light was off, the curtains were open, and the moonlight illuminated half of the room. The person standing in front of the wardrobe was a familiar face, it was the house owner.

Nan Deng had a timid and slightly wary look in his eyes as he met Lian Yi’s gaze.

Realizing that the other person was watching him, he became nervous, and quickly retreated back, and the gently closed wardrobe door made a “bang” sound.

Lian Yi’s patience had worn thin, he directly pulled open the wardrobe door.

Seeing Nan Deng’s semi-transparent soul body crouching inside, he also squatted down and extended a hand towards Nan Deng.

The hand did not touch Nan Deng, but Nan Deng felt a suction force, his body was involuntarily moving forward.

He came out of the wardrobe, slowly approaching Lian Yi. His chin was held by an invisible force, forcing him to raise his head to reveal his entire face.

Lian Yi moved his lips, seeing Nan Deng’s panicked expression, about to cry in fright, he let go of his hand.

Freed from the restraint, Nan Deng rapidly retreated, hugging the rabbit’s head, and returned to the corner of the wardrobe.

Back in the cavern, the mist ghost also grabbed him in the same way, Nan Deng was frightened, his fingertips trembling.

The bedroom was quiet, and Nan Deng could hear the sound of Lian Yi’s irregular breathing. He was still squatting at the front of the wardrobe, his dark gray eyes watching himself in the darkness.

After a while, Lian Yi opened his mouth to speak, “Why are you hiding here.”

He had overlooked Nan Deng several times, and turned a blind eye to his approach, but it didn’t mean he would ignore him indefinitely.

Everything that happened outside, almost every bit of Lin Jiu’s affairs, was told to Lian Yi, it was hard not to know.

Tonight, Nan Deng did not show up on time, and various abnormalities appeared in the city. With Lin Jiu’s message, Nan Deng must know something.

He should be the resentful spirit that escaped to the outskirts mentioned in the message and likely saw the Ghost King.

Following the Ghost King is almost every resentful spirit’s nature; Nan Deng might not be an exception.

The most straightforward and crude method, of course, was to catch him and ask directly.

Even if he hadn’t seen the Ghost King, he would have to provide a reason for not appearing on time tonight.

Nan Deng curled up in the corner of the wardrobe, answering the question with an unrelated response, “You… can you see me?”

“Yes.”

He could not only see him but could also hear his voice. Nan Deng’s eyelashes trembled, and he was extremely nervous, “You… are you a Celestial Master?”

Lian Yi frowned and did not answer right away.

He had never been merciful to any ghost subordinates. After meeting Nan Deng, he had made an exception from time to time. Seeing Nan Deng so scared now, an inexplicable irritation surged in his heart.

He was silent for a moment, “No.”

Lian Yi rarely wore badges, and tonight he did not deliberately wear the Celestial Master uniform when he went out.

Nan Deng looked at him, unsure if he believed him or not. He cautiously asked again, “Then, will you let a Celestial Master come and catch me?”

Lian Yi continued, “No.”

With answers to these two questions, Nan Deng seemed to be less afraid of him.

Only then did he take the initiative to come out, inch by inch, moving at a turtle-like pace from the wardrobe, his beautiful and clear eyes looking at him timidly, “Really?”

Lian Yi’s face showed no expression, and after a few seconds, he said, “Really.”

He patiently repeated the previous question, “Why are you hiding here?”

Nan Deng hadn’t completely recovered, his slow and incoherent reply, “I… I encountered a very powerful ghost, and it wanted to eat me.”

“Xiao Tu was also eaten by it, but then I escaped… There were also several ghosts who wanted to catch me…”

Lian Yi looked down and saw the rabbit head sleeping with its head covered in Nan Deng’s arms.

He asked, “Was it the Ghost King?”

Nan Deng looked up with puzzled eyes, “I don’t know…”

Is the Fog Ghost the Ghost King? It seems like he heard some other ghosts in the cave say it wasn’t.

Lian Yi saw Nan Deng’s reaction and stood up.

So he did escape back here, encountering dangers outside that must have terrified him; he didn’t see the Ghost King and might not even know what the Ghost King is.

Ghosts do kill each other for reasons like competing for territory.

However, since Nan Deng chose to hide by his side, he would be absolutely safe.

Having basically asked the questions he wanted to know, Lian Yi stopped talking and turned to leave the bedroom.

Nan Deng was left in place, looking even more confused and lost.

What now? Lian Yi isn’t driving him away? Was he just asking about the reason for hiding here?

Furthermore, Nan Deng wanted to know why Lian Yi could see him even though he was not a Celestial Master.

Lian Yi left the room, seemingly going to the bathroom next door, where the sound of running water could be heard continuously.

Nan Deng looked around, making sure it seemed like it was just a false alarm.

He quickly got up and tip-toed out of the bedroom, intending to leave through the window. Hesitating, he turned back again.

The bathroom door was tightly closed, and a semi-transparent shadow suddenly squeezed in from the frosted glass below.

Lian Yi, with his eyes closed, said, “Get out.”

“Alright.”

Nan Deng silently left through the glass again.

The hot water soaked Lian Yi’s entire body, slightly diluting the chill that seemed to seep out from his bones. When he changed clothes and came out, Nan Deng was, as expected, still waiting at the door.

As Lian Yi took a step forward, Nan Deng retreated a step but refused to run away directly.

Lian Yi stopped in the corridor, water dripping from the tips of his hair, his voice low and soft, “Are you afraid of me?”

Nan Deng stubbornly asked again, “Are you really not a Celestial Master?”

“No.”

“Then why can you see me…”

Lian Yi remained silent, he had never thought that there would come a day when he would bluff a ghost with lies.

“The thing you left at the door,” he responded while taking steps closer towards Nan Deng, “I have accepted them all.”

Nan Deng slightly widened his eyes, clearly surprised and less vigilant and afraid.

Lian Yi’s use of the word “all” shows that he picked up more than just once.

Does accepting his things mean that he could see him?

This was a blind spot in Nan Deng’s understanding, but on careful consideration, it seems to make sense.

Moreover, if Lian Yi were a celestial master, he would definitely catch him immediately.

Suddenly, an idea surged within Nan Deng, who lowered his head to fumble in his pocket.

“Are you looking for this?” Lian Yi took another half-step forward, holding a black feather in his hand.

Nan Deng caught sight of the feather and nodded his head in approval.

He had planned to leave it at the door, but he might have rushed in through the window and accidentally dropped it on the ground, where Lian Yi found it.

Upon seeing this, his tension eased slightly more; he believed Lian Yi’s words.

“I … I will not eat you,” Nan Deng said, a little guilty. After all, he had indeed wanted to take a bite of Lian Yi and had even attempted more than once, “Don’t call a celestial master to catch me.”

Lian Yi didn’t reveal the truth and responded with a simple “No.” Then, he headed back to his room.

Nan Deng followed closely behind him, “There is something else I want to tell you…”

Lian Yi sat down at the edge of his bed as Nan Deng took out a rabbit’s head from his pocket, “This is my pet. It’s called Xiao Tu. I don’t know if you can see it.”

Embarrassed, he said, “A few days ago, it accidentally ate a few of the paper-made tiny people here. Were they yours?”

Since Lian Yi agreed not to have a celestial master catch him, and he didn’t seem to fear or despise him—this ghost—Nan Deng suddenly felt a strong fondness for him.

So he felt more guilty about the small paper people being eaten by the rabbit and wanted to apologize.

Without lifting his head, Lian Yi responded, “That’s fine.”

These two words on their own sounded cold, and since Nan Deng couldn’t see his expression, he squatted down next to him and whispered, “Please don’t be angry.”

He held the rabbit’s head in his hand, anxiously looking at Lian Yi.

The rabbit’s head was sound asleep, eyes closed, not moving at all.

Lian Yi lifted his gaze towards Nan Deng and suddenly asked, “Do you want to stay?”

Nan Deng opened his mouth, stammering, “Can I?”

He did have that intention, with his eyes revealing a hint of expectation.

Lian Yi bent down, leaning in closer, “Why?”

“I wouldn’t dare to go out,” Nan Deng looked at him earnestly, “I’ll just stay for one night, I promise I won’t disturb you.”

He wasn’t sure whether the ghosts pursuing him were still outside. If found, he wasn’t confident that he could escape smoothly for a second time. It would be better to lay low for now.

Thinking hard, Nan Deng added, “If you don’t want to sleep at night, I can keep you company and watch TV with you.”

Lian Yi seemed to smile lightly, the curve of his lips so faint that it was almost impossible to catch.

He spoke softly, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Nan Deng, it means the lamp from the South.”

Realizing Lian Yi’s attitude had softened, Nan Deng took the initiative to move closer and touch the edge of his sleeve.

He looked very well-behaved and beautiful, with a simple and harmless appearance.

Lian Yi agreed, “Alright then.”

Nan Deng’s face immediately lit up with a gentle smile, his eyes shining brightly.

“By the way,” he asked curiously, “When did you start to see me?”

It was after delivering the rabbit toy for the first time that he could enter the house, as Lian Yi showed no reaction during the previous encounters.

“Tonight.”

Nan Deng responded with an “Oh,” not doubting the answer one bit.

He was not only simple but also easily fooled.

This wasn’t Lian Yi’s original intention, but he tended to act on his own whims without many rules and restrictions.

For instance, now, letting a ghost stay by his side was a major taboo for a celestial master.

Lian Yi looked down and noticed a newly added tear on the side of Nan Deng’s clothing.

His gaze shifted upward, settling on Nan Deng’s fair face, “What did the ghost that wanted to eat you look like?”

Translator’s Footnotes:

算了…… (Suan le…): “Forget it…” This is a common expression in Chinese when someone decides not to worry about something or give up an idea.

南燈一路逃到了這裡。(Nan Deng yi lu tao dao le zhe li): “Nan Deng fled all the way to this place”. The phrase 一路 (yi lu) is often used to indicate continuous action or a journey, here it implies his desperate escape.

半晌，連譯再次出聲：“出來。” (Ban shang, Lian Yi zai ci chu sheng: “Chu lai.”): “After a while, Lian Yi again spoke out, ‘Come out’.” Here, 半晌 (Ban shang) often means “for quite a while” or “a good while,” showing the passing time.

連譯的耐心已耗盡。(Lian Yi de nai xin yi hao jin.): “Lian Yi’s patience had worn thin.” The term 耗盡 (hao jin) means ‘to use up’ or ‘to exhaust’.

他可能是被發現了。 (Ta ke neng shi bei fa xian le.): “He may have been discovered.” In Chinese, “被+verb” structure is used to represent the ‘passive voice,’ signifying something was done to the subject. This structure helps convey the pressure and vulnerability Nan Deng feels in this moment.

那隻手沒有碰到南燈。 (Na zhi shou mei you peng dao Nan Deng.): “The hand did not touch Nan Deng.” Here, 那隻手 (Na zhi shou), simply translates to “the hand”, but in Chinese, classifiers (like ‘zhi’ in this case) are used before a noun to specify a quantity, which adds more details and vividness to the scene.

追隨鬼王幾乎是所有怨魂的天性 (Zhui sui gui wang ji hu shi suo you yuan hun de tian xing.): “Following the Ghost King is almost every resentful spirit’s nature.” The term 天性 (tian xing) can be translated as “nature” or “instinct,” implying that this behavior is innate and deeply rooted in every resentful spirit.

冷意 (Leng yi): “Chill.” This phrase helps convey the cold, eerie atmosphere that is present when dealing with ghosts and the supernatural.

躡手躡腳走出 (Nie shou nie jiao zou chu): “Tip-toed out.” This phrase describes Nan Deng’s cautious and stealthy movements, illustrating his nervous and hesitant demeanor.

無妨 (Wufang): “That’s fine.” Although translating literally to “No harm,” in this context, it can be interpreted as “Don’t worry about it” or “It doesn’t matter,” showing Lian Yi’s dismissive attitude towards the incident.

Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter in the comments!

I love ya ⸂⸂⸜(രᴗര๑)⸝⸃⸃